tyler



REESE & TYLER.

Gas- Lamp Lighter.

Patented June 30, 1857.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN REESE AND CHAS. N. TYLER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

STREET-LANTERN.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 17,696, dated June 30, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN REESE and CHAS. N. TYLER, both of the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Lighting Street Gas-Lamps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing through letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1, represents an elevation of the lamp post and lamp, and Fig. 2, a central vertical section throu h the same, the pipe and burner, being in e evation.

The same letters of reference occurring in both figures, indicate like parts.

In the ordinary method of lighting gas lamps, a man has to climb the post or a ladder, open the lamp door, turn on the gas, light a match against the lamp-post, and introduce it to the burner, which is often very difiicult in wet, windy or pasty Weather, and consumes considerable time in lighting up a city.

To facilitate this operation is the object of our invention, and which consists in constructing the lamp and lamp-post in such manner that the gas may be turned on, and the lamp lighted, by a man standing on the ground, and without opening the door of the TE enable others to make and use our invention, we will now proceed to describe its construction and o eration.

The lamp-post A) is constructed similar to those ordinarily used, and has an aperture (B) at a convenient height from the ground, for the insertion of a key to turn on the gas, by turning the stop coo (O) in the gas pipe (K); a lamp of suitable form, with a stem or handle of sufficient length (such as we have invented for the purpose, and which will be made the subject of another application for Letters Patent) may then be introduced through the conical aperture (D), in the bottom of the lamp (I), to ignite the gas as it issues from the burner (H); in order to prevent the wind from blowing into the lamp through said a erture, which would be liable to put out the light, we cover the openmg with a slide (E), which is forced over the aperture by a spring (G) toclose it; the end 0 this slide, over the aperture, is of an incllned form on its underside, so that when the lamp is introduced through the aperture, 1t str1kes against this inclined part of the shde, and forces it back, to allow the burner to pass through; and when the lamp is withdrawn, 1t springs forward and closes the aperture, to prevent any gust of wind which might be gathered by its funnel-shaped mouth from blowing out the light, thus with a suitable hand lam as above referred to, the street gas may e lighted in much less time, and with ease, requiring scarcely a perceptible stop age at each lamp.

Instead of t e above-described sliding valve, a door valve, or any other equivalent device, that will accomplish the same object may be substituted.

The 0 erator will carry his key in one hand an the hand lamp in the other, and on arriving at the lamp-post, will enter the key through the aperture (B), and turn the cock (0), and at the same time insert the burner of his hand lamp into and through the aperture (D), by which the gas is ignited, and in a moment is on his way again to the next lamp, to repeat the operation there.

Having thus described our invention, we do not claim the conical aperture or the valve in themselves, but

What we do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The arrangement of the funnel-mouthed aperture (D) and the valve (F) in the bottom of the lamp, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 1st day of May, A. D. 1857, before two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN REESE. CHAS. N. TYLER. Witnesses:

THOMAS C. DAVIS, CHAELEs KEMBEL. 

